Make life difficult for the Blazers duo
The Blazers boast one of the most formidable backcourt duos in the league. The 1-2 punch of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combines for an average of 47.1 points per game, but on any given night, they can do so much more than that. Over the past two weeks, both McCollum and Lillard have gone off for 50 points, and both needed just three quarters to do so.
The only players in NBA history to score at least 50 points in 30 or fewer minutes:
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) February 10, 2018
Klay Thompson (Dec 5, 2016)
CJ McCollum (Jan 31, 2018)
Damian Lillard (tonight)
Both players can hurt you from the inside and the outside, and in order for the Jazz to win, they are going to have to make both players work.
In this most recent eight-game winning streak, the Jazz have had the No. 2 defense in the league, with a 97.2 rating. They are back to allowing one of the lowest opponent 3-point percentages, and Gobert and Favors are roaming the paint like two monsters.
The last time the Jazz played the Blazers, they limited McCollum to just 16 points on 6-of-20 shooting. Lillard did score 33 in that game, but he shot 4-of-15 from three. If the Jazz can match that effort, even on the road they could come out on top.